黑洞社区

Galliford Try has said getting hold of people remains the biggest barrier to growth for most firms working in the industry.

The firm, which employs 4,000 people, is on the hunt for more staff but chief executive Bill Hocking admitted finding suitable people was still proving difficult despite industry initiatives to broaden its appeal.

鈥淧eople is the biggest constraint in the industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淕etting hold of them is going to continue to be a challenge. Everyone is in the same boat.鈥�

The construction sector is just 15% female, with just 6% coming from ethnic minority backgrounds with nearly a third of the industry鈥檚 total workforce set to retire in the next decade. Tomorrow a major CLC-backed initiative to increase diversity into the industry will be launched by a coalition of construction organisations.

Hocking was speaking as the firm turned in an improved set of numbers for the year to June with revenue up 13% to 拢1.4bn and pre-tax profit up to 拢10.1m from 拢5.4m the year before.

Galliford Try said it booked a 拢10m exceptional cost on a new computer system it was rolling out across the business on top of the 拢6m it shelled out on IT the 12 months before.

黑洞社区 remains its biggest business with revenue of 拢797m although Hocking said the firm was hit by the fallout in the wake of last September鈥檚 mini-Budget.

鈥淪ome jobs were stopped because people were spooked,鈥� he added. Three of the firm鈥檚 PRS projects were mothballed with two coming back but a third has remained on ice.

Hocking said inflation and labour rates had calmed down in the past year with the 拢600m infrastructure business, which includes highways and water work, benefitting from investment to overhaul ageing facilities.

But he said getting infrastructure out of the ground in the UK still takes too long, adding planning issues and local opposition to some jobs was slowing schemes down.

The firm is not working on HS2, which has been hit by delays and more set to come, with its rail work limited to station and platform refurbishments. But some road schemes have also been hit by delays and rethinks, notably a scheme to dual the A1 in North-east England which is due to be built by Costain.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a balance between needs and democracy,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he interest [in building infrastructure] is there but getting things actually moving takes forever.鈥�

The firm remained debt free during the period and had average month-end net cash of 拢135m, down from 拢174m. Hocking said subcontractors were reassured by the company鈥檚 balance sheet and added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important because they know they will get paid.鈥�

Hocking said it was expecting to turn in an improved performance this year with analysts expecting pre-tax profit to be between 拢24m and 拢28m with Hocking expecting the number to be at the upper end of predictions.